New technology developed by researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science could finally help solve the problem of smartphones or laptops running down when there is no access to an electrical outlet.

UCLA engineers have created a novel concept for harvesting and recycling energy for electronic devices — one that involves equipping these devices’ LCD screens with built-in photovoltaic polarizers, allowing them to convert ambient light, sunlight and their own backlight into electricity. [via]